Top 5 Operas to See This Weekend – International (12/22-24): Angela Gheorghiu & Piotr Beczala Headline ‘La Bohème’ In Berlin

By Francisco Salazar

It’s the weekend and while many companies will take off for Christmas, a number still have high profile performances that will showcase some of opera’s greatest stars. Take a look!

Il Trittico – Bayerische Staatsoper, Germany 

Kirill Petrenko leads a star-studded cast in Puccini’s three operas. Ermonela Jaho sings her signature Suor Angelica while Eva-Maria Westbroek and Yonghoon Lee star in “Il Tabarro.” Ambrogio Maestri sings the title role of Gianni Schicchi with Rosa Feola and Pavol Breslik as Laureta and Luigi. Lotte de Beer directs the new production which will be live streamed throughout the world.

La Bohème – Berlin State Opera, Germany 

Angela Gheorghiu returns to her signature role as Mimì on Dec. 22 alongside Piotr Beczala and Anna Samuil in Lindy Hume’s production. Julien Salemkour conducts the star-studded cast which is rounded out by Alfredo Daza. Performances run through Jan. 17 with Gheorghiu’s final performance on Dec. 30.

Lucia di Lammermoor – Semperoper Dresden, Germany 

Venera Gimadieva headlines Dresden’s production of Lucia by Dietrich W. Hilsdorf. The rising star is joined by Aleksey Isaev as Enrico and Edgaras Montvidas as Edgardo. Pietro Rizzo conducts the Semoperoper Orchestra and chorus in a night that should be memorable.

Andrea Chénier – Teatro Alla Scala, Italy  

Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov continue their run of Giordano’s masterpiece in a new production from Mario Martone. When the production opened on Dec. 7, critics raved and said, Netrebko “gave a luscious account of Maddalena” while Eyvazov’s “clarion voice and declamatory style sounded authentically veristic.”

30th Anniversary – Palau de Les Arts, Spain 

The Palau de Les Arts will celebrate the Chorus’ 30th anniversary performing some opera’s most famous pieces for a large vocal ensemble. The concert will include music by Verdi, Puccini, and Bizet as well as Zarzuela. Plácido Domingo conducts the concert, which will also include special performances from Annya Pinto, Moisés Marín, and Andrés Sulbarán.

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